A Stroopwafel That Is Actually Good For You

Honey Stinger rose to fame on the back of its waffle, with many brands quickly jumping on the trend. Modeled after the traditional Dutch stroopwafel (literally translated as syrup waffle), the more “performance-oriented” waffles are still a high sugar snack. Looking to transform this popular snack into a healthier treat, Dutch food designer Chloé Rutzerveld created a variety of vegetable-based versions.

Taking advantage of the fiber content and natural sweetness of root vegetables such as beets, carrots, and celeriac, Rutzerveld created STROOP! using only the juice and pulp of vegetables.

The ingredients for STROOP! are all by-products of the consumer vegetable industry. As vegetables are peeled and packaged to be sent to the grocery store, the so-called ugly ones get juiced. The by-product of the juicing is pulp. This pulp is what makes up the base of the waffles and the juice is used to create a syrup for the middle.

One waffle contains 100 grams of carrot, celeriac or beetroot, the same amount as in the entire vegetable. The waffles and the syrup are 100% vegetable based, with no added sugar, and are gluten free.

Sadly, STROOOP! waffles are only a prototype at the moment — the team over at Core77 got to see them at Dutch Design Week 2016. Let’s hope Rutzerveld finds a way to make them commercially available soon. And I can bet Honey Stinger, Clif and others will be sniffing out their own way to make vegetable waffles in the near future.